Southeastern Stew Converted to Pioneer Life.

Written historical “facts” can be highly debated due to the old saying of, “history is written by the victors”.  The “winners” of a war write out their history to depict, not only how strong their troops and strategy were, but how weak and disorganized the losers were.  But another factor that makes much of written history questionable is that a culture may only have related their history orally.

Take, for example, the Celtic Druids who left no written history due to a strict religious doctrine that forbade committing their sacred knowledge to writing. They believed that relying on written words would weaken memory, and that their divine secrets were too profound to be recorded for the general public.  What we know of the Druids comes from records written by the observations of the Greeks and Romans.  The Romans, however, were unsuccessful in assimilating the Druids into their newly formed Christian beliefs, so eliminated all they could capture.  A perfect example of, “If you’re not one of us, you’re against us.”

Other cultures did not use writing tools and some type of recording medium, such as stone tablets, parchment, papyrus or paper.  What is referred to as “rock art” around the world refers to the drawings of indigenous cultures in various lands.  Their drawings tell stories, give news, and have become their historical records.  Unfortunately, too many people are ignorant to the historical significance of “rock art”, and desecrate sites by adding their own version of signature or artwork.

So, where am I going with all this about written vs. unwritten history?  Recipes often have no factual origin history, or background, due to not being recorded.  Families may have handed them down, for generations, via word of mouth; or written in a book that stayed within a family, and never shared.

For example, Brunswick Stew, and the name sounds very British, doesn’t it?  Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings (author of The Yearling), wrote in her 1942 Cross Creek Cookery, that this dish is similar to a stew which originated in Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1815-1918), Germany, and was quite a favorite meal of England’s Queen Victoria. 

 

 

 

 

However, oh yes, here comes the big however, two states in America debate that origin story.  Brunswick County, Virginia (1828): Virginia lore credits Jimmy Matthews, an African American hunting-camp cook for state legislator Dr. Creed Haskins, for creating the stew in 1828 during a hunting trip along the Nottoway River. The recipe originally featured squirrel, butter, onions, and stale bread. The Virginia General Assembly officially recognized Brunswick County as the birthplace of the stew via a 1988 resolution.

 

 

 

 

 

Brunswick, Georgia (1898): The coastal city of Brunswick, Georgia, lays claim to a slightly later origin. Local lore asserts the first batch was cooked there in 1898, and a 25-gallon iron pot stands in the town square marking the historical vessel. The Georgia version of the stew often incorporates barbecue sauce or ketchup.

But wait! Anthropologists and culinary historians widely agree that the stew's true foundation lies in communal dishes prepared by Southeastern indigenous tribes. They simmered seasonal game, such as squirrel, groundhog, or venison, with corn, squash, and beans long before European arrival. The Virginia tribes noted are Algonquian, Sioux, and Iroquois, and in Georgia they are Muscogee (Creek) and Cherokee.

There are dozens and dozens of recipes online for Brunswick Stew, and each depends on whether the home cook/chef is looking for more authentic, or primarily using ingredients of their region.

Here’s an overview of what many of these recipes might consist of, and how they are prepared.

Key Ingredients

Meats: 1 whole chicken (cut into parts) and 1 lb. smoked pork shoulder or pulled pork

Base: 4 cups chicken broth, 1 can (28 oz) crushed or whole peeled tomatoes

Veggies: 2 cups baby lima beans, 2 cups corn, and 2 medium potatoes (diced)

Seasoning & Sauce: 1 chopped yellow onion, 2 minced garlic cloves, ½ cup BBQ sauce, ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce, and 1 tsp smoked paprika

Thickener: 1–2 tbsp butter and optionally a handful of breadcrumbs (or creamed corn) 

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Cook the Chicken: In a large Dutch oven, boil the whole chicken with the onion and seasonings in the broth until it is falling off the bone.

2. Shred & Prep: Remove the chicken, discard the skin and bones, and shred the meat.

3. Build the Stew: Add your tomatoes and chicken broth back to the pot. Add the potatoes, lima beans, BBQ sauce, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, and the smoked pork.

4. Simmer: Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 1 to 2 hours, stirring frequently until thick.

5. Add Corn: Stir in the corn and shredded chicken during the last 20-30 minutes of cooking.

6. Thicken & Serve: If the stew is too thin, stir in butter or a small amount of breadcrumbs, and serve hot.

Well now, here we are in the southeastern corner of Utah, so I’m going to pretend to be a pioneer, and use the ingredients available in the 1880s to early 1900s.  Now remember, the San Juan Mission pioneers, aka Hole-in-the-Rock, had 83 wagons full of people, clothing, household goods, and food.  It took six months to reach Bluff, so much of that food was consumed by the 200 pioneers, their horses, oxen, and chickens; there were no supermarkets or convenience stores, along the route, to restock supplies at.  Once in Bluff, trading with the Navajo and Ute was essential, also learning what native plants were edible, as well as fishing from the San Juan River, hunting game, and developing vegetable gardens. From the local natives, they traded for corn, squash, melons and beans; and cultivated crops of tomatoes, peas, potatoes and turnips.

So, now, with all that information, here’s my recipe for Brunswick Stew that a San Juan County pioneer would have cooked up.  Ok, wait, I’m only pretending to cook pioneer style, so no open fire cooking, just using my handy-dandy crock pot.

 

Brunswick Stew

 Ingredients:

3 and ½ lbs. chicken parts with bone (I used legs and thighs as the meat won’t dry out while cooking in the crock pot)

2 cups diced (medium dice) potatoes (peeled & parboiled)

2 cups whole kernel corn

2 cups pinto beans (or Anasazi for that true heritage appeal)

2 cups diced tomatoes

4 cups chicken broth (I used my homemade which already includes salt, black pepper & paprika)

½ cup diced onion

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

2 tsp. chili powder

¼ cup all-purpose flour (the thickener)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375F, spray a large rimmed baking sheet with non-stick spray. 

 

 

 

Remove skin and as much fat as possible from chicken parts and place on baking sheet.  Bake for 30 minutes, let cool to touch and remove all meat into bowl, breaking up into bite sized pieces.

 

Set 4-quart crock pot on low, place parboiled potatoes, corn, beans and chicken inside; spread tomatoes over all.  In a large bowl, mix broth, onion, garlic and chili powder together, and pour over ingredients inside crock pot.

 

Cook for 4-6 hours; test potatoes to see if fork tender.  If they are, whisk the flour into the stew quickly to avoid clumping; let cook another 15 minutes and liquid will thicken, and remain clear.

Makes 6-8 servings.

This stew has influences from the indigenous tribes with the use of corn, beans, onion and garlic (wild variety of onion and garlic would have been used).  The pioneer influences are the chicken, potatoes and tomatoes.  Put it all together and you have a southeastern stew converted to a pioneer life.

Mary Cokenour 

 

 

A Merc, by Any Other Name, would still be Redd’s.

After the settling of pioneers in Bluff, in 1880, by 1882 one cabin had been set up as a co-op where goods and supplies were sold to the people in the Fort and/or traded with the Navajo. The pioneers bought Navajo wool, pelts, and blankets which were taken to Durango, Colorado for sale. Returning from Durango, they brought other necessary goods to be sold from the co-op. 

By 1889, the co-op became housed in a brick building and became known as the San Juan Co-Op, being named after the San Juan Mission, not the river.  It was destroyed during a robbery attempt by the Fred Starr gang, and blown up.  Being diligent, the residents rebuilt the store and it is now the Bluff Fort Welcome Center and Museum.

North of White Mesa, Walter C. Lyman founded a small community, in 1905, which was named Grayson, after the maiden name of the wife of Bluff leader, Joseph Lyman.  The renaming of the community occurred in 1914 when a hefty library donation, from wealthy Easterner, Thomas W. Bicknell, was given.  His wife’s maiden name was Blanding, so followed the pattern of the first naming of the area.

Three years prior, the Grayson Co-Op had been established, but it was not until 1918 that it became housed within the ZCMI building.  The ZCMI (Zion's Co-operative Mercantile Institution) building featured a cast-iron and stamped sheet metal façade; the materials shipped in from Philadelphia.  The main structure was constructed with brick masonry and heavy timber frame, with elements of pine pillars and stamped metal ceilings, and remains a prominent iconic feature along Blanding’s Main Street.

 

 

When the co-op was first established in 1911, Parley Redd was hired as manager, and continued to do so until 1939, when he purchased the business.  Being a hard worker, and having business “smarts”, he was able to buy out other stockholders and changed the co-op to a private business, the Parley Redd Mercantile.  “The store carried clothing, food, shoes and just about everything a pioneer needed right down to baby diapers (cloth of course) and coffin

…ice cut from the ponds in winter and buried it in a big sawdust-filled pit in back of the store to be dug out in the summer and sold. (sounds like Parley took a lesson from Hans Jensen).

…goods were purchased from traveling salesmen called “drummers” and shipped in by horse-drawn wagons.

The Co-op store was a gathering place for many of the town’s people. They would sit around the old stove in the middle of the store and catch up on all the latest gossip and news. Parley was, by nature, a friendly, gregarious individual who loved to play practical jokes on people. They say he rigged an auto coil under the counter and when an old-timer or anyone else sat on the counter Parley would wind up the coil and shock the person perched thereon. His good humor made it work and it curtailed men sitting on his counter.”  (from San Juan Record, July 6, 2011, Parley Redd and his Ruth: A San Juan romance)

 

In 1952, Parley sold the business to his three sons, Vint, Gordon and Kent, but retirement was very short for Parley, as he died, from illness, April 1955.  The mercantile eventually joined forces with the Ace Hardware corporation, and became known as Redd’s Ace Harware; and yes, the Redd’s still own the business to this day.

So, where does food come into all this?  Well, while Parley Redd ran the merc, and the modernization of refrigeration began, he was able to offer more then just cut up blocks of ice, or dried and canned goods.  He installed frozen food lockers that could be rented, and residents were able to come in, store fresh food in the lockers, and pick up their goods whenever needed.

Weekly, Parley would have cattle slaughtered, prepped for sale, and that would be a way for local cooks to have more than pork, mutton/lamb, or wringing the necks of their own chickens.

However, the hardware store doesn’t offer up much in the way of edible goods any longer, unless you count the candy, snacks and soft drinks available near the main checkout counter.  Or, you can always pop into the Subway housed in the same building complex, or walk one street over to Smoke Pizza Company, if you’re hungry after all that hardware shopping.

Now for a recipe that would honor Parley fresh cut beef, but I’m not one for the Dutch oven, over an open fire, way of cooking.  No, low and slow in the crock pot does me just right.

 

Crock Pot Beef Stew

Ingredients:

2 and ½ lbs. sirloin or eye round roast

½ cup flour

4 Tbsp. olive oil, divided in half

6 medium potatoes

1 lb. package baby carrots

1 large onion

1 and ½ cups beef broth

½ tsp. ground black pepper

1 tsp. garlic powder

 

Preparation:

Spray a 6-quart crock pot with nonstick spray.

 

Cut roast into 1-inch-thick slices, the slices into 1-inch-thick strips, the strips into 1-inch cubes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Coat the cubes in flour; heat 2 tablespoons oil in large skillet, medium-high heat, add half the cubes and brown on all sides; drain on paper towels. Repeat with second half of cubes; place browned and drained cubes in bottom of crock pot.

 

 

Cut potatoes in half lengthwise, cut into 1-inch strips, the strips into 1-inch cubes. Place into 5- quart pot with the baby carrots, cover with water; parboil for 15 minutes.  While these are parboiling, cut the onion into ¼ inch strips; place over the beef in crock pot.  Drain potatoes and carrots; spread out over the onions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In a medium bowl, mix together beef broth, black pepper and garlic powder; pour over ingredients in crock pot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Set pot on low; cook for 8-10 hours until meat, potatoes and carrots are fork tender.

Makes 8 servings.

Mary Cokenour 

 

 

 

A Side Dish Does the Turkey Trot.

I have to admit that, as much as I want to be more versatile, a traditional Thanksgiving meal is what I will make, no matter what “fashionista” celebrity chefs say otherwise.  However, it’s afterwards, with the leftovers, that the adventures begin - turkey pot pie, turkey stew, turkey strata, turkey noodle soup, turkey panini, turkey, turkey, turkey.  Some folks try to use them up immediately, or look forward to sending them away with departing guests. Freezing them, for future turkey cravings, is more my style though.  I have even, when finding turkey breast on sale, portion out and freeze for future use.

Still, the question of what recipe to create still looms, and having an assortment of cookbooks is always helpful, well, sometimes.  For example, one Yule, I received a new cookbook along with a new crock pot which had 3 sizes of ceramic pots – 2-quart, 4 quart and 6-quart.  I will not give the book’s name, as, well, you might have it and love it; and I do not want to diss your faves.  My copy though ended up being donated to the local library.

I will mention that the recipe I was looking at was in a section titled, “Impress Your Guests”.  At first the recipe name sounded interesting, but as I read it, all I could say to myself was, "Huh?".  Rereading it once more only got me to the, "What the...?", stage.  Sadly, I was not very impressed.

…and here is that recipe that seemed to boggle my mind.

Scalloped Tomatoes and Corn

Ingredients:

1 (15 oz.) can cream style corn

1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained

3/4 cup saltine cracker crumbs

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 tsps. sugar

3/4 tsp. black pepper

Preparation:

Combine corn, tomatoes with juice, cracker crumbs, egg, sugar and pepper in crock pot; mix well.  Cover; cook on low 4 to 6 hours or until done.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

This basically reminds me of those meals, from the 1940s to 1960s, when women began leaving the home to work actual paying jobs.  The slow cooker aka crock pot was introduced to housewives in the 1940s, a boon during the WW2 years. They could start dinner cooking in the morning before going to work, and add finishing touches in the evening, when they came home.

Now back to the recipe…

My first question for the preparation is "What size crock pot?"  For the best cooking medium, a crock pot should be almost full (allowing for liquid produced during cooking); no way the ingredients listed would fill a 6-quart, or even a 4-quart.  Second question, "Why the sugar?"  The cream style corn would release sugar during cooking; isn't that why salt wasn't added, due to the salt in the crackers?  Third question was "How is this scalloped?  Scalloped means a casserole with cream and cheese incorporated; ok, the cream style corn could act as the cream, but where was the cheese?

This is where turkey leftovers come into play, and I just happened to have some in the freezer.

However, if you want to make the recipe, I will give you next, soon after Thanksgiving, fresh is always best.  Oh, another item I like to keep in the freezer, applewood smoked bacon, and we all know that bacon makes everything better!

The cookbook recipe plus a little bit of this, a little bit of that and skip the sugar altogether.  All the ingredients fit inside a 2-quart crock pot, cooked in four hours and created a complete meal, for four, of delicious comfort food.

Now come see what I have created in my lab...umm, kitchen, I meant kitchen. 

 

Scalloped Turkey with Bacon

Ingredients:

1 lb. cooked turkey breast, chopped

½ cup diced celery

4 slices applewood smoked bacon, cut into on- inch pieces

6 slices Swiss cheese

1 (15 oz.) can cream style sweet corn

1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes

1 cup crumbled saltine crackers

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp. ground black pepper

1 Tbsp. crushed dried thyme leaves

Preparation:

Spray inside of a 2-quart crock pot with nonstick cooking spray.  Layer the turkey, celery, bacon; cover with the Swiss cheese slices.

Turkey and Celery Layers.

 

Bacon and Swiss Cheese Layers.

 

 

Liquid Mixture Over All.

   

In a medium mixing bowl, gently mix together corn, tomatoes, crackers, egg, black pepper and thyme so as to not break up the crackers any further.  Spread over ingredients inside the crock pot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cover, set on low, and cook for four hours.

 

Makes four servings. 

Mary Cokenour 

 

 

 

After 4 hours on low.

 

Time to Start Thinking Harvest.

The end of August is almost here, and we are never too sure what the weather for September and October will be bringing to us.  Anyone home gardening should be considering what to harvest now, and what can wait a bit longer.  Our summer has not been overly heated, but we never did get our annual monsoon, so dry, dry, dry.  Many gardens probably did well with constant secondary watering, and care; many did not fare well.

Thanks to our friend Steve, he made sure we received yellow squash as often as possible.  Even though he was disappointed in their lack of growth size, I was able to make many a delicious squash quick bread to share back with him.  Quick bread made with squash?  Well sure, I bet you have had zucchini bread, well that’s a squash.  Simply use my recipe from the June 29, 2022 article, in the San Juan Record, or from my food blog, and substitute yellow squash for zucchini.  If the squash is not over ripe, the skin can be shredded into the bowl along with the insides, or peel it off if you’re unsure.  Just make sure to remove the stem and root ends, and throw those into the compost bin.

This got me to wondering about the various tribes of Utah’s indigenous peoples, and what they refer to as The Three Sisters: squash, beans and corn.  The most important aspect to these three food items is…water!  I have written many a time about Navajo recipes, even one on Hopi, but not on the Paiute or Ute, and finding them mentioned in southwestern native cookbooks seems to be nonexistent.  The state of Utah is named after the Utes, and information from Utah.com states, “The name "Utah" is believed to be derived from the Ute word "yuttah," which means "people of the mountains"”.  National Geographic states, “It comes from the Spanish nickname for the Ute Native American tribe, “Yuta”. But others say the name could come from the Ute word “yutas”, which is said to mean “the people,” or “people of the mountains.””   When it comes to researching, there are very few books available about the Paiutes and Utes, so most of my information comes from roaming the internet.  So, apologies to the descendants of both tribal cultures if I get something incorrect. 

Speaking of roaming, both Paiute and Ute people are descended from Numic-speaking hunter-gatherers who migrated east from Southern California around 1000 AD.  While they shared linguistic and cultural traditions, eventually, due to traveling to, and setting up home, in different states, the tribes developed individually distinct qualities.  One important quality remained for both though, the need to be near water sources, for how else can food be grown?

This brings it all round to The Three Sister of squash, beans and corn that not only can be cooked together, but can be harvested and stored to last throughout the winter months.

Unfortunately, the only recipes I could find, relating to Paiutes and Utes, were too modernized to be authentic.  Ingredients that grew native to Utah may no longer exist, or recipes list ingredients that are more readily available in stores, then to go foraging for. Take, for example, herbs native to Utah: common yarrow, yampah, sagebrush, purple sage, globe mallow, blue lupine, thread leaf ragwort, fleabane and fern bush. Now different types of sage are readily available in stores, but the rest, not so much, unless home grown or foraged.

So, what herbs can be purchased, or even grown in home gardens?  Of course, sage is number one on the list, after that is: lemon thyme, thyme, rosemary, oregano, basil, parsley, chives, mint and lavender.  Sounds like we have a Mediterranean theme going on in this herbal garden.  All of these herbs are considered aromatics, and enhance any food they are being paired with. 

Well, I have some lovely yellow squash sitting on the kitchen counter, and while I will cheat a little by using canned pinto beans and whole kernel corn, here’s my take on Three Sisters Stew.  Oh, while this can be done on the stovetop, about an hour of cooking on medium-high heat; I chose to use a crock pot instead.  Like I have mentioned many a time, low and slow is the way to go, as it gives each ingredient, not just time to cook thoroughly, but to infuse, and be infused, with surrounding flavors.

 

Three Sisters Stew

(In honor of all the indigenous people of Utah)

Ingredients:

2 cups yellow squash, peeled and cubed (butternut or acorn squash are good as well)

1 (15.25 oz.) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15.25 oz.) can whole kernel corn, drained or rinsed

1 large onion, chopped

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. each dried sage, thyme and rosemary

¼ cup pinyon (pine) nuts

4 cups vegetable broth

Preparation:

Place all ingredients into a 2-quart crock pot, and pour vegetable broth over all.  No need to stir together until fully cooked.  Set on low for 4 hours.

After 4 hours on low.

All Ingredients into Crock Pot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Makes 4 servings, or 6 if being used as a side dish.

Notes:

Stove top method: Do same preparation as above, but into a 2 to 3-quart cooking pot.  Set on medium-high heat, for one hour, occasionally stirring to keep from boiling over, or food sticking to bottom of pot.

Corn – fresh can be used, or, if using frozen, make sure to thaw before adding in.  Adding in frozen, the corn will contain additional water which will dilute the broth.

Beans – soak dried overnight can be used, but the cooking time will be increased, and increase vegetable broth to six cups, instead of four.

Herbs – yes, you can use some of the others that are listed within the article, instead of what I have used.

Spicy?  A few recipes did add diced Hatch or jalapeno chilies, so up to personal tastes if the stew is to be mild, medium or hot.

Tomatoes?  A few recipes did add diced tomatoes, however, I was looking to create something more geared towards the indigenous cultures, than Italian cuisine.

A Complete Meal of 3 Sisters Stew plus Fried Flounder.

 

Basically, try my recipe first, and hope you enjoy it.  After that, have more adventure in your own kitchen by adding other ingredients such as chilies or tomatoes.

Mary Cokenour 

 

 

 

 

Meatballs Meet The Old Spanish Trail.

 This is a combination of my travel and food blogs.

“Into the great wide open

Under them skies of blue

Out in the great wide open

A rebel without a clue”

Into the Great Wide Open, by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, 1991

Since around June, hubby and I have taken short riding trips, with our dog, just to get away from the town.  Like the song lyrics just read, into the great wide open, under the skies of blue; and San Juan County certainly has a monopoly on both.  Round and round the trails of Lisbon Valley; Steen Road where Charlie Steen had his Mi Vida mine.  Crossing over Highway 191 onto old highway 191, driving past the abandoned Monticello CCC Camp location and coming out at Wilson’s Arch. No matter how many times we travel these parts, we always notice something new.

 

Recently, a dirt trail past Casa Colorado Rock caught our attention.  Oh, we already knew the trail was there, seen it before, say, “One of these days we’ll check it out.”  Why did we notice it more this time?  There was a new sign, and we knew it was new, cause it was all shiny new, and didn’t see it anytime before, put up by the BLM.  Sign reads, “Las Tinajas Water Holes, Bureaus of Land Management, Old Spanish National Historic Trail”.  This is so new-new that we could not even find it listed on the BLM, nor The Old Spanish Trail Association, websites.  Lots of references to the Las Tinajas Waterfall and Swimming Holes in Puerto Rico though.  Even asked Google AI which stated, “The BLM has no new established trails in San Juan County, UT relating to The Old Spanish Trail.”  Good thing I always take a camera on our jaunts, so could document what we had found.

 

So, the trailhead is off Steen Road, near Casa Colorado Rock; now that’s the name the BLM has listed on their information board about this formation.  If you visit my travel blog, February and May 2014, I wrote extensively about Steen Road and the formations along, and seen from, it.  In 1874, Willian Henry Jackson photographed the same areas, and named the formation "Cave Rocks / Sierra La Sal / Dry Valley”.  Closer to Highway 191 is where the Hook and Ladder OHV Trailhead can be accessed as well. 

 

But I digress, the trail to the water holes is one-mile, round trip, over very sandy ground, and it gets steeper the closer to the water holes you get.  There are no areas of shade along the trail, so, being in the great wide open, wearing a hat; loose, light colored clothing, hiking shoes and carrying lots of water is a must.  A side trail to Casa Colorado Rock brings you to more shaded areas, so bring a picnic for a restful lunch.

This is a combination travel and food article, so that was the travel part, and here comes the food.  Since this trail is an established part of The Old Spanish Trail, it is quite appropriate to introduce a Spanish recipe that has become a staple in Mexico, Albóndigas Guisadas aka stewed meatballs.

During the 6^th to 15^th centuries, the Moors, of the Middle East, inhabited and influenced southwestern Europe, which included Spain.  When the Spanish explorers came to Mexico, and the more southern regions of North America, they too influenced the people already dwelling there.  Albondigas was one culinary influence in which it can be served as a savory stew, or a full bodied, comforting soup of meatballs, vegetables and rich broth.

The word "albondigas" comes from the Arabic word "al-bunduq," meaning "hazelnut" or "small round object," which refers to the shape of the meatballs.  Since the 15^th century, the recipe has gone through many changes throughout Spain and Mexico, however, tomatoes, garlic, onions, peppers and olive oil (combination known as “sofrito”) remain the foundation for the broth.  This type of recipe is similar to ones from Italy, but the seasonings of cumin and chili powder give albondigas its Spanish signature.

After the meatballs are browned, they are finished off by cooking in the broth.  For a stew, the broth/sauce is much thicker, and can be served over rice or mashed potatoes. In soup form, the broth is thinner, and vegetables of zucchini, potatoes, and carrots can be added.  An ingredient, sold under the brand name “Maggi Jugo”, is a rich brown liquid whose equivalent is dark soy sauce, and is a must for the broth, whether the product itself, or using the soy sauce as a substitute.

For the onions, white or red (purple) can be used, or a combination.  The same for the bell peppers, all one color of red, yellow or green, or a combination.  First cut the vegetables into strips (julienne), then cut the strips in half before adding to the sauce mixture.  The first recipe will be a stove top method which will be quick cooking.  The second will be for the crock pot which I have found creates a better dish.  The slower cooking allows the meatballs to absorb the flavors of the sauce it is cooking in; and the entire dish becomes richer and more flavorful.

 

Albóndigas Guisadas (Spanish Stewed Meatballs)

Meatball ingredients:

2 and ½ lbs. lean ground beef or 2 lbs. beef + ½ lb. ground pork

2 Tbsp. Maggi Jugo (dark soy sauce can be substituted)

1/2 cup minced onions

2 Tbsp. beef stock

2 tsp. ground black pepper

1/2 cup plain, dried bread crumbs

1 egg

For frying: 1/2 cup olive oil

Sauce Ingredients:

2 cups onions and peppers, julienned and halved

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

2 tsp. cumin

2 tsp. chili powder (mild or medium)

1 can (10 oz.) tomato sauce

1 can (4 oz.) tomato paste

1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes

1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes with chilies (mild or medium)

1 cup beef stock

¼ cup Maggi Jugo (dark soy sauce can be substituted)

Preparation:

For the meatballs, mix all meatball ingredients, except olive oil, thoroughly, in a large bowl.  Roll mixture into two-inch balls; makes about 3 dozen.  In a large skillet, heat olive oil on medium heat, add meatballs and brown for 3 minutes; turn over and brown again for 3 minutes.  Do not drain oil.

 

For the sauce, in a large pot, 4 to 5-quart, on medium-high heat, add all sauce ingredients and cook for 20 minutes, stir occasionally.  Add browned meatballs, reduce heat to medium, cover and cook 15 minutes; uncover, stir bottom to top, cook additional 10 minutes.  Serve with white rice or mashed potatoes.

Makes six servings.

Crock Pot Method

In a 4-quart crock pot, mix together all sauce ingredients, set on low.  Create meatballs as in stove top directions, add to sauce in crock pot, including the oil (full of added flavor).  Let cook for six hours before serving over white rice or mashed potatoes.

 

A huge thank you to my taste testers at the Monticello 7-11/Exxon; your positive and helpful opinions made this worthwhile.

Looking for something in the sandwich genre,  Preheat oven to 400F.  Place six meatballs, plus veggies and sauce on one half of a large sized Naan bread.  Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese over the filling. Fold the other half of the Naan bread over the filling, place on an aluminum foil covered pan, place in oven for 15 minutes.  Now that's going to be one heck of a satisfying sandwich!  

Mary Cokenour 

 

Good Heavens That is Good Gravy.

Gravy making, why does it seem to be so complicated? Growing up, the only gravy I remember having at a meal was at Thanksgiving time, and it was not homemade, but came out of a can. During my first marriage I would watch my, then, mother-in-law make a slurry of flour, garlic powder and water, pour it into the meat drippings to create a lumpy, oily mess. Not very good examples for making my own gravy, and thus avoided the issue whenever I could. Thank you, thank you, thank you for whomever invented the crock pot; not just for the easy cooking it afforded the home cook, but for the luscious stock that could be made into a stupendous gravy.

"Impossible!", you say; "Cannot make gravy without drippings from roasted meat or poultry!", you say...yep, you can.  First off, I will tell you how by using the crock pot; secondly from drippings out of a roasting pan, without adding butter, cream or extra flour.  Being fair here by giving the choice of crock pot or roasting pan, and not absently dismissing the traditional roasting method.  Now sit back, relax and have a good read...

Scenario: Making pot roast in a crock pot; put your meat in first, but before you put it in, coat it liberally with flour (this is all you will need for that gravy later on); put in your veggies, seasonings and then pour two cups of beef stock over it all; cover, set it and forget it till done.  If making poultry, use chicken stock instead, but use the same coating with flour and veggies over the top process.

 

Gravy brings a pot roast dinner all together.

The meat is done, put it on a platter to rest with 3/4 of the vegetables.  Looking into the crock pot, you will see an oily sheen on top; that is the oil that came out of your meat or poultry during the cooking process.  Do not worry, we are going to get rid of that easily, and not lose any flavor.

 

Pureed vegetables will thicken the gravy.

The liquid inside the pot is also thin; the flour you coated the meat in was not enough to thicken, but just enough to help with the process.  The 1/4 portion of vegetables that you left inside is going to be your true thickener.  What is neat about this is that anyone that refuses to eat their veggies, but loves gravy, is going to eat veggies and not even know.  Well, they will if you tell them, but we are keeping this a secret, right? Of course, you can leave bits of veggies if you like, so long as no one you are serving is a problem eater.

 

Bits of veggies hidden in the gravy.

 

Now, you all know how I love my immersion blender, but if you still have not purchased your own (why not!?!), then a regular blender will do.  Begin pulverizing the vegetables inside the pot, being careful not to raise the blender too high and splash the liquid around the kitchen.  Not only will the soon to be gravy be thickening up, but you will see it turn to a rich color; you will be tempted to serve it as is, but patience grasshopper, patience.

 

 

To get the oil out of your gravy, pour the amount of pureed liquid you need into a plastic container and place into the freezer for one hour.  Take the container out of the freezer and you will see that the fats have solidified on top; carefully spoon them out and do not forget to scrape it off the sides of the container too. You will probably have a lot more gravy left over which can be defatted, frozen and reheated when needed; because you did not use any dairy in its making, the chance of separating is none. 

Place in freezer safe plastic container.

 

Scrape off the fat solids.

 

 

 

To serve, just warm up the gravy; no further seasonings need to be added, especially salt which would have come from the stock you initially used when cooking your meat.  If you really need to have a smooth gravy, go ahead and strain out all the little bits that the blender could not pulverize.  We like it rustic; it proves that it is homemade, not out of some can or jar.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The color of the gravy depends on what vegetables were used during the cooking process. More carrots and tomatoes give a redder coloring.

Ok, now for the roasted part of this post; you are going to need a deep roasting pan for this process.  Either use a rack to lay your meat or poultry on, or a very thick layer of cut up vegetables will work too.  In the pan, lay out all your cut up vegetables and sprinkle a little flour over all of them; pour your stock over all; then place the rack with meat, or the meat itself on top and roast until done.  Oh, do not forget to season your meat or poultry; as the fat melts, it will take some of the seasoning with it and add it to the veggies down below.  Now just follow the same gravy making process as I explained for the crock pot; you just might want to transfer your liquid and 1/4 portion to a deep bowl first though. 

How come I did not use any water in the crock pot or roasting pan?  The vegetables gave me all I needed; during the cooking process, they sweated out their excess moisture, so adding water at the beginning would have thinned out the gravy way too much at the end.

Making gravy is not so hard after all; just remember to not additional seasonings until after the process is done and you have tasted the end product.  You will be very surprised.  Enjoy!

Mary Cokenour